Secret Santa is one gift for one person. White elephant is a pile of gifts and a lot of stealing. Here is how they differ, and which suits your group.
| What | White elephant | Secret Santa |
|---|---|---|
| Who you buy for | Anyone: the gift goes on a shared pile | One person, drawn in secret |
| Stealing | Yes: open a gift or steal one | No: you keep the gift chosen for you |
| Secrecy | Everyone watches every open and steal | Who bought for whom stays secret, often to the end |
| When it happens | One party, about two minutes per person | Names drawn days or weeks before, gifts at the party |
| Kind of gift | Fun and general, something anyone might want | Personal, picked for that person |
| Best for | Big groups, offices, people who do not know each other well | Small groups, close friends, families |
| Also called | Dirty Santa, Yankee Swap, Rob Your Neighbor | Kris Kringle, Secret Elf |
Choose white elephant for a party: a big group, an office, a mix of people who do not all know each other. Nobody has to buy for a stranger, and the stealing makes it a game the whole room watches.
Choose Secret Santa for a small group of close friends or family who know what each other likes, or when you want one thoughtful gift rather than a laugh.
For a remote team, white elephant works well online: everyone types the gift they will send, then opens and steals on their own screen during a call.
Play White Elephant online, free
Everyone plays on their own phone. Free for up to 20 people, no sign-up.
Start a gift exchangeWhite elephant goes by several names. Yankee Swap is the New England name and Dirty Santa is common in the South. The game is the same; house rules on steal limits and the last swap vary a little. The full version is on our white elephant rules page.
A white elephant is a gift that is more trouble than it is worth. The story goes that the kings of Siam gave rare white elephants to courtiers they disliked: an honour no one could refuse, and too costly to keep. The gift exchange borrowed the name for gifts that are funny, odd, or not quite what you wanted.
In Secret Santa you draw one name and buy a gift for that person, and nobody steals. In white elephant everyone brings a general gift for a shared pile, and on your turn you open one or steal one that is already open.
White elephant suits big teams and people who do not know each other well: nobody has to shop for a stranger, and it doubles as a party game. Secret Santa suits small, close teams. If stealing feels awkward at your office, set a low price limit and two steals.
Yes. Yankee Swap is the New England name for white elephant. Dirty Santa is another name for it, common in the South.
Yes. Some groups do Secret Santa for one personal gift and a white elephant round for a fun gift, often with a lower price limit.
Yes. Our free online white elephant runs on everyone's phone with a TV view, for in-person parties and remote teams on a call.
Questions or stuck? support@herdgamesonline.com